Army playing catch-up as Ukraine shows drones now rule the battlefield

THE evolution of drone warfare highlighted by the Ukraine war has left the Army playing catch-up, defence experts warn.

- Conor Wilson

Since the Russian invasion in 2022, the use of drones has increased so much that they now account for as many as 80% of Russian fatalities in some operations, according to Roman Kostenko, the chairman of the defence and intelligence committee in Ukraine's Parliament.

Drones now rule the battlefield, experts have said. They cost a fraction of the price of conventional missiles, they serve as both a reconnaissance tool and a weapon and can be redirected mid-flight.

It means that many nations are playing catchup, scrambling to adjust to the changing nature of warfare at a rapid pace.